Get out of wherever you are!

Posted on 2009/11/06 13:16:53 (November 2009).

[Friday 6th November 2009]

In Manila for the usual business trip I have had the final enlightenment on life.

GET THE HELL OUT OF WHEREVER YOU ARE and move to the South East of Asia. What are we waiting for? In these countries with a modest pension you can live a life that you could not even imagine now.

Fruit that taste like jam, fresh, delicious. All sorts of ingredients, food is the last of anyone's problems.

People are happy, extremely poor but happy. You can buy everything you need at least at half the price than what you normally pay it, unless you go to local markets, in that case prices are even lower.

Women (and man if you are into that), love you. You are different, everyone is nice to you but they let you be if you don't feel like mixing in.

Technology and buildings are of the latest grade, these are developing countries and everything is bloody new and works like a Swiss clock.

Yes you have to put up with pollution, traffic and the sight of extreme poverty, but I gess that we are used so much at being cynic everyday that in the end we can let that go.

Oh did I mention that here EVERYONE seems to be able to speak perfect English?

So we got to run, it's the only choice to lead a better and more comfortable life, to have 3 maids at home, 5 unofficial girlfiends, 1 official one and of course a wife, to have a driver, to live in a place where it's always hot, where if you want you drive (or better you get your driver to take you) to splendid beaches and mountain resorts.
Are you into massages? You can get a massage for almost NOTHING (like 3 Euro for 2 hours).

What makes us want to stay in a place like Europe where everyone (almost) feels poor and depressed? A place where we work like donkeys all our life to get a shitty pension that barely covers primary needs. Are roots to the territory so strong?

I am considering to buy a house. With the sum that I am planning to spend not only I can buy a villa here (with the 3 maids), but I can also buy a couple of cars (and drivers), and probably if I am careful with the money I can live doing nothing for some years!

Oh well, sorry, that is the usual reaction to the new clients that I have met here. They are so stinking rich that a pig is like Claudia Schiffer bathed in Chanel N.5 in comparison.

Another place where little have a lot and a lot have little, a strong contrast every day, but to lead the life that my clients have would probably convince the worst sceptic.

I do not know what life will give me, but for sure, if I will have the money, later in my life I will consider moving here, after all what is all the stress worth if in the end what you get is more dissatisfaction?

Intersting article Lox! Yes, I can imagine the scene quite well.

I remember one thing an ex-boss of mine once said (a boss who I thought was pretty good!)

"The only thing we can be certain if is *change*"

And I think this could happen any day. Yes this is more slow in our developed countries, but in the far-East things can change rather quickly. Hong Kong survived devolution from the UK but if the recession continues in the West, can the East keep growing?

I don't know the answers but for sure it would be nice to live somewhere free from worry and where it wasn't cold and wet all the time! :-))

Posted by Nigel at 2009/11/07 14:18:11.

Nigel: The fact is that these developing countries are investing a lot on internal demand, so at the moment, although the crisis is hitting hard here too, they can still continue to grow. Things happen very fast in the Far East, but the thing that strikes me is the very low cost of everything (especially manpower), so in the end if you lived here with the same wage that you have in the west, you would live a life of a millionaire (almost)... Oh well...

Posted by Lox at 2009/11/08 15:50:07.

L'herbe du voisin est toujours plus verte.

Your neighbour's lawn is always greener.

Posted by Sheri at 2009/11/08 15:51:32.

Sheri: It's not a matter of greener... it's the fact that they have a FOREST and I have a dried up patch... :(
It's true there are a lot of things that I probably would not like, but we are talking standards of living, and when you have drivers, maids and a very advanced society (in the center of town, in the suburbs people die in the streets), IF you can stand the extreme things that you are likely to see in these countries, then it's the place to be...

Posted by Lox at 2009/11/08 23:57:20.

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